


Finding and Choosing

by Aeriel



Category: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: Gen, Growing Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 20:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2241918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeriel/pseuds/Aeriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cat avoids his way into a small adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding and Choosing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rosencrantz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosencrantz/gifts).



> I am so incredibly grateful to my beta, TS, who figured out the story I was trying to write and let me know what it was so I could give it the ending it actually wanted.

Janet was having a lavish, well-attended party to celebrate her fifteenth birthday, and Cat was hiding.  
  
He really hadn't meant to run away, not at first. It was, after all, Janet's birthday, and she wanted him to be there. At the start it hadn't been so bad. Tonino had come early, and that was all right because Cat hadn't seen Tonino in years and there were plenty of new things for them to talk about.  
  
Only Tonino's family had come too, and they had sort of swallowed them both up after the first hour. Being in a crowd of fast-talking Italians who were unsurprisingly conversing in Italian made Cat's head spin. Eventually he managed to excuse himself to go to the lavatory, holding a glass of red wine someone had poured for him which he had no intention of drinking.  
  
There he had put aside the wine glass and almost been sick in the washbasin. Once Cat felt reasonably certain this was no longer a concern, he went out and crept down the hallway he knew led away from the crowd, attempting to avoid eye contact with any overly friendly guests.  
  
He was so intent on not being noticed that it took him several turns to realize he had ended up in a part of the Castle he didn't recognize.  
  
This by itself was not a particularly unusual occurrence. As Julia and Roger had noted on several occasions, Chrestomanci Castle was an immense building that followed no particular architectural logic of its own. If Chrestomanci's children, who had lived in the Castle their entire lives, had yet to discover all its secrets, no one could really be blamed for getting lost in it.  
  
So when Cat discovered he did not know where he was or even what door he had come through, he was neither frightened nor especially worried. On the contrary, he was quite pleased with himself.  
  
It was the perfect excuse to not return to the party for hours without insulting Janet. Of course, Chrestomanci would give him his vaguest look which Cat had learned meant that he was deeply suspicious, but the important thing was that Janet would accept it and then go on one of those tirades about how glad she was going to be living someplace small and manageable in the future. These were relatively new complaints, which Millie had said were quite natural for a person of Janet's age, but always made Cat feel a little strange, since he knew he was never going to live anywhere else.  
  
Not that he minded, really. Cat liked Chrestomanci Castle. He even liked these small windowless rooms he was presently making his way through. But it was funny after all these years to think of Janet moving away. It was almost like losing Gwendolen a second time.  
  
Cat was jolted out of that rather somber thought when he rounded a corner and discovered a hallway flooded with natural light from the windows on the left side. Quickly he went to the closest one in order to get some idea of which side of the Castle he was on at least.  
  
To his surprise, Cat didn't recognize the view at all. It didn't even look like Ulverscote. There was a lake in the middle of the grounds and snow-capped mountains in the distance.  
  
Cat rather thought he would have noticed falling into another world, but admittedly he didn't have the experience to draw a firm conclusion either way.  He had gotten here through the Castle, so it stood to reason he could find his way back to familiar territory when he wanted to.  
  
But rather than immediately turning back, Cat headed down the hallway. He had a funny feeling that somebody wanted him here.  
  
Halfway down the hallway, Cat was startled by a sudden heavy crinkly noise. It sounded like the loudest snoring he had ever heard in his life. Thinking that perhaps the sleeper could give him some indication of where he'd ended up, Cat followed the sound until he came to an open door.  
  
There he found an airy room with large French windows and floor-length lacy curtains. At the base of one of those windows, halfway under the curtains, was a good-sized black furry lump which seemed to be the source of the snoring. At Cat's approach, the lump stirred and raised its head, blinking sleepily, and Cat was able to identify it as a labrador retriever.  
  
Cat held out his hand for the dog to sniff. After managing to get out from underneath the curtains, the dog shook himself out and trotted over, his tail wagging. The dog sniffed Cat thoroughly, and then, apparently deciding he was all right, sat down and looked up at him with a subtle suggestion that Cat might want to pet him.  
  
Cat stroked the dog's head. He noticed a collar with a metal name tag that said _Mauri_. "Do you live here?" he asked. "Are you Chrestomanci's dog?"  
  
Mauri had no idea what a Chrestomanci was, but he thought it sounded rather tasty. He did live here, but his master was sick, and hadn't been feeding him as often as he really should have been.  
  
Cat suspected the dog was exaggerating, but all he said was, "Can you bring me to him, then? I've gotten lost."  
  
Mauri obligingly got up and went to the door, lowering his nose to the floor. Cat followed him around several corners and along a balcony. Just when he was beginning to wonder if the dog wasn't actually leading him to some biscuits, they entered a dimly lit study, where a plump old man was sitting hunched over at a desk.  
  
The dog ran over to him, tail wagging so frantically that Cat thought it was a good thing the desk was far away from the little porcelain angel and bird statuettes scattered around the room. Whoever had decorated this space had probably been quite fond of them.  
  
Still, Cat kept his distance, aware of a certain familiar grimness in the room that was very much at odds with the cozy touches. The air smelled of prolonged illness, and though the man looked peaceful enough patting his dog's back, Cat knew that he was dying.  
  
"Er, hello," Cat said. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I was just looking for the way home."  
  
The old man gave him a peculiar look. "You look awfully young for a Chrestomanci. But my summons was quite particular."  
  
"Oh, I'm not Chrestomanci," Cat explained. "I will be someday, though. Do you need him particularly?"  
  
The old man considered it while Mauri nosed around him. It was then that Cat realized the man hadn't opened his mouth to speak to him, but communicated in that wordless way animals tended to.  
  
"You weren't able to say his name three times, so you set up this spell and got me instead," he said, thinking out loud. "I can call him now, if you like."  
  
 _That won't be necessary_ , the man replied, and it was a bit odd now that Cat realized how he was doing it. _By now I have successfully divided up most of my valuable possessions among my relatives and pupils. The only thing that remains to be tended to is my companion here._  
  
The dog looked at Cat then with his widest, most endearing eyes, hoping that he had food to share.  
  
"Not at the moment. I can probably find some though," Cat said, before turning back to the man. "Couldn't you find anyone who wanted him?"  
  
 _For a variety of reasons, no one has been able to accommodate him. He needs room to run and be walked, and people or other animals to keep him company. For the most part he is very well behaved, and has a reasonable amount of his own magic. I thought Chrestomanci might have use for him, or else know someone else who wanted a magical pet._  
  
Mauri scratched behind his ear modestly.  
  
"Well, he'd have plenty of room and company at Chrestomanci Castle," said Cat hesitantly. "The only trouble is that we've already got cats and a horse and sometimes a griffin. You don't think he'd chase them, do you?"  
  
The dog was the picture of innocence.  
  
 _He's run after the occasional squirrel_ , the man admitted, _but he's not in the least aggressive. I daresay he'd be more afraid of the horse and griffin than they would. And if the cats are willing to stand their ground, I believe he'll give them space._  
  
"All right, then," Cat said, making up his mind. "I'll bring him to Chrestomanci and we'll see if he likes it. And if he doesn't, like you said, I'm sure he can find somewhere else he'll be happy."  
  
The old man leaned back in his chair, seemingly relieved. _Thank you very much. I do appreciate it, and I daresay so does he. I'm going to take a nap now, so you two run along._  
  
"Wait," interjected Cat, with a sudden fear. "How do I get back home?"  
  
 _He's very good at finding things_ , the man said sleepily. _You send him an idea and he'll make his way towards it. You've got the dwimmer to work it out._ He patted Mauri on the back. _Be a good boy, now. Remember your manners. Don't... well, you know._  
  
And then he was snoring, though much more softly than his dog had been. For his part, the dog looked up at his old friend for a long time. Cat rather felt that he was intruding on their private moment.

But finally, Mauri turned and went to Cat, who was starting to think he was rather hungry himself, now that he had nothing else to think of.  
  
Once they had left the study behind, Cat looked around and realized he hadn't the first clue which direction they'd come from. Figuring he'd take the old man's advice before trying anything else, Cat put his hand on the dog's head and thought very hard about familiar parts of Chrestomanci Castle.  
  
Immediately, Mauri turned left and began walking at a steady enough pace that Cat could easily follow. It was a strange journey, since Cat didn't recognize any of the other rooms they went through, and could have sworn that some of the views were actually impossible in proportion to the other rooms and corridors.  
  
Now that he was looking for it, Cat felt rather than saw the jump back to his own world, though he still wasn't sure how the dog managed it. Most likely it was partly the dog's magic, part Castle magic, and a little bit of Cat's own. He was just beginning to think he recognized this wallpaper at least when Mauri picked up speed and bounded around a corner.  
  
Cat chased after him, only to find Marianne and Tonino, with the dog nuzzling Marianne's leg.  
  
"I think he smells the sandwiches," Tonino suggested, moving away slightly. It seemed he didn't care for dogs.  
  
"These aren't for you," Marianne reprimanded Mauri. She caught sight of Cat and smiled. "I thought between the two of us the finding spell would catch you sooner or later."  
  
Cat hadn't realized till seeing them that people might have been looking for him. Now he felt very guilty indeed. "Has dinner started already, then?"  
  
Tonino frowned. "Of course. It's been hours since you disappeared."  
  
Well, no wonder he was hungry. "I didn't mean to," Cat said, inadequately.  
  
"No one thinks you did it on purpose," Marianne said reassuringly, still trying to fend off the dog. "Down, boy. The sandwiches are for Cat, not you."  
  
"You should give him one, he hasn't eaten either." Cat thought he probably could have eaten two sandwiches, but it seemed like the right thing to do.  
  
"Ham and cheese or roast beef?"  
  
"I'll take the ham and cheese," Cat decided. He preferred roast beef, but he felt he didn't deserve it at the moment.  
  
Marianne gave Mauri the roast beef, and Tonino handed Cat the ham and cheese. "Where did you get him from?"  
  
"He used to belong to a wizard," Cat said, biting into the sandwich. "He's very good at figuring out where to go."  
  
The dog's tail twitched a couple of times, acknowledging that he was being discussed, though he did not look up from the roast beef.  
  
Tonino frowned. "Does that mean that our spell didn't work, and you found us instead of us finding you?"  
  
"I'm not sure it really matters," said Marianne, and Cat agreed.  
  
In any case, they all made their way back to the party, Mauri trotting between Cat and Marianne.  
  
"Are you afraid of dogs?" Cat asked Tonino, who was on Marianne's other side.  
  
"No," Tonino said stubbornly. "He's just bigger than I'm used to."  
  
As they approached the buffet table, the dog suddenly increased its pace. Cat watched with some amusement as he sat on his hind legs and offered his paw to a strange woman, who clapped with delight and shook it.  
  
"Cat!" Janet flung her arms around him suddenly, nearly knocking him over. "I thought my double had gotten you!" She smelled very strongly of champagne.  
  
"I told her you could look after yourself," said Julia's voice, from somewhere behind his right shoulder. "You're not a complete baby."  
  
"I'm not a baby at all!" Cat said, insulted, trying to squeeze out of Janet's grip. He was very worried that she was going to start crying soon.  
  
"Janet," Marianne said patiently, "you're going to strangle him."  
  
"Oh!" Janet released him, still looking dangerously teary-eyed. "Mea culpa."  
  
Chrestomanci and Millie had joined them now, dressed in their finest (which as usual meant tasteful frills for Millie and outrageous patterns for Chrestomanci) with Roger and Joe trailing behind them.  
  
"Well, what has the Cat dragged in?" said Chrestomanci, without rancor. Mauri was still being fed by the strange woman.  
  
"He needed a place to stay," said Cat. "It doesn't have to be with us, but he's used to magic."  
  
"It isn't that we can't afford to keep him," Millie said doubtfully, "but if he chases cats…"  
  
"Or Klartch," added Janet.  
  
"Well, I like him," Julia declared. "And I don't see why Klartch shouldn't either."  
  
"Klartch can weigh in himself soon enough," said Roger. "Isn't it almost time for him to come back?"  
  
Millie didn't look convinced, but Chrestomanci said, "We'll give it a trial run, shall we? Barring any catastrophes, he can stay for the time being."  
  
For some reason, this was what finally caused Janet to burst into tears. Julia shook her head and put an arm around Janet, leading her off. Roger made a derisive noise and Joe snickered, though they immediately stopped when Marianne gave them the look that meant trouble.  
  
Tonino frowned. "Was that a _pun_?"  
  
"It always helps to have an appreciative audience," said Chrestomanci.  
  
The party was beginning to disperse at this point, and Cat found he wasn't nearly as anxious. It helped, of course, that Marianne was there, and they could go to a quiet corner without seeming unsociable.  
  
"I didn't actually arrive until after you left," Marianne said, reaching for an orange. "Jason and Irene had car trouble, so we all had to stand around watching Joe fiddle with things. And then when we got to the castle Joe went off immediately with Roger, and Tonino told me he hadn't seen you for an hour."  
  
"I'm sorry," said Cat glumly. "You haven't gotten to enjoy the party at all."  
  
"I wouldn't say that. I rather like some of the Montanas and Petrocchis, but most of the guests here are people I'd just as soon not talk to." Marianne pocketed the peel and offered Cat part of the fruit, which he accepted. "It's nicer when things quiet down. You can have real conversations."  
  
Cat chewed thoughtfully, trying not to get juice on his new suit, and mostly not succeeding. "Do you like it here? At the Castle, I mean, when we're not having company."  
  
"I love it," she said immediately. "It feels more like home than home, if that makes any sense. Do you?"  
  
Cat nodded. "I just wonder sometimes how different it's going to be when I'm Chrestomanci."  
  
So much of the Castle now was arranged to Chrestomanci's taste. Cat couldn't imagine it had always been this way, not when Gabriel de Witt had held the position before. Of course there things that he thought already made perfect sense, but Chrestomanci freely encouraged Cat to work in the left-handed way that suited him best, and in order to do that Cat would have to make some changes of his own.

Which was all well and good, but it was possible other people wouldn't like Cat's way of doing things. It was possible people would be expecting a different Chrestomanci. It might be very difficult in the beginning. And Cat had no idea if anyone he knew now would be around to help, or if they'd all be on their own adventures.

Marianne squeezed his hand. "Well, I'm not planning to move to the far side of the world."

That made Cat smile, but he couldn't help saying, "You could if you liked, though. You might want to eventually."

"I might," she agreed. "And you might never be Chrestomanci."

That was a strange thought. It had been certain for long enough that Cat was going to be the next Chrestomanci that the idea someone else might come along hadn't really ever occurred to him. He wasn't sure he liked it.

If Cat had to leave the Castle, the way he'd once thought he would, he was fairly sure now he could find somewhere else to go. But he didn't think he particularly wanted to be any of the other places he could think of. And even if he was still here, with someone else learning to be Chrestomanci... well, that might almost be worse. Being Chrestomanci was important. Scary, but important.

Cat had rather gotten used to the idea.

"And Klartch could lose all his feathers, and Julia could be the next Queen of England, but I don't think we should worry about any of that," Marianne concluded. "Things usually turn out all right, don't they?"

"I suppose they do," Cat admitted.

He thought about this for a while, after Marianne had gone off with Angelica Petrocchi and Lucia Montana, and after something that looked like a six legged chair had gone sailing through a window screaming _"I BELONG TO CHRESTOMANCI CASTLE!"_ with Joe and Roger in hot pursuit.

None of this was going to go away, not really, and Cat found that made him feel warm and happy. Even if Janet made good on her promise to leave, it was hard to believe she'd really be gone for good. She loved them all too much for that.

"Quick!" Tonino ran by, catching Cat's sleeve. "Let's get out of here, my cousin Rinaldo's about to make an ass of himself in front of Chrestomanci."

Cat turned, curious despite himself, and was just in time to see one of the taller Montanas abruptly transform into a donkey with a green scarf. "All right, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere," Tonino said fervently. "Get us lost, I don't care."

Cat wasn't sure he could manage the same mistake twice without outside interference, but he was perfectly willing to try.


End file.
